PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar. Image from PNP
MANILA, Philippines — Police Gen. Guillermo Eleazar has ordered the 220,000-strong Philippine National Police (PNP) to stop the New People’s Army (NPA) from collecting permit-to-campaign taxes or allegedly extort money from local candidates in the 2022 elections.
“Inaatasan ko ang ating kapulisan na siguraduhing hindi makakaporma itong mga NPA sa kanilang mga extortion activities. Inaasahan na natin na sasamantalahin ng mga ito ang panahon ng eleksyon para makapangikil sa mga tatakbo sa darating na halalan,” he said.
(I am directing our police force to make sure to thwart NPA’s extortion activities. We are expecting that they would take advantage of the election season to extort money from candidates.)
The PNP chief also urged candidates to not yield to the demands of the communist group.
“Nagpapaalala rin ako sa mga kakandidato na huwag patulan itong ilegal na gawain ng mga rebeldeng komunista. Sama-sama nating siguraduhin na maging malinis at maayos ang eleksyon sa susunod na taon,” Eleazar added.
(May I also remind candidates to not yield to these illegal activities of the communist rebels. We must band together to ensure that the upcoming elections would be clean and orderly.)
INQUIRER.net has sought the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) for their reaction to Eleazar’s remarks but has yet to receive a reply from the group as of posting time.
Election season has officially kicked off in the country last October 1 when the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) by aspirants started. The COC filing would end on October 8.
“Mahigpit naming babantayan simula ngayong filing ng COCs, panahon ng kampanya, aktuwal na botohan, hanggang sa proklamasyon ng mga nanalong kandidato,” Eleazar said.
(We will strictly be on guard from the filing of COCs, campaign period, actual voting, up to the proclamation of winning candidates.)
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He then cited the recent police and military joint operation that resulted in a raid of alleged war materials supposedly belonging to the CPP-NPA as proof of their commitment to a safe and orderly election.
“I commend our police and military personnel in Bicol region for the successful operation in Sorsogon that resulted in the confiscation of war materials from the CPP-NPA-NDF as part of our intensified campaign not only to end communist insurgency but also in ensuring the peaceful conduct of elections in May next year,” Eleazar said.
“Nananatiling isang malaking banta sa eleksyon ang CPP-NPA-NDF kaya inatasan ko na ang ating mga area commanders na lalo pang palakasin ang kampanya laban sa kanila dahil naasahan natin na muli na naman silang mangunguna sa mga extortion activities sa mga kandidato,” he added.
(The CPP-NPA-NDF remains a big threat to the election so I ordered our area commanders to further intensify the campaign against them because we anticipate them to lead extortion activities against candidates.)